Christopher Hope joined The Daily Telegraph in October 2003. Since then he has been Business Correspondent, Industry Editor, Home Affairs Correspondent, Home Affairs Editor, Whitehall Editor and is now Senior Political Correspondent in The Daily Telegraph's office in the House of Commons.

Freedom of Information get-out clause

Gordon Brown is continuing to obstruct my Freedom of Information attempts to find out who is having for dinner at Chequers. You can see the back story here and here.

Letter from Howell James (in full below)

Now Gordon's communication chief Howell James has written to me saying that we cannot have the information because it is "intended for future publication".

Extraordinarily this get-out clause apparently allows 10 Downing Street not to publish information requested under FOI – for as long as it wants really.

Mr James suggests that the list of diners will be published "in the normal way" for this financial year – which can't happen before the end of March.

At least, Mr James – who I like – apologises for not explaining this earlier. But it still won't wash. Just because the Government intends to announce the information does not give it a right to avoid publishing when we want to see it.